Wall bed systems typically include a mattress pallet which moves between a horizontal or sleeping position to a vertical or storage position supported at one end or side by a standing support frame. A swinging support member is typically secured to the bottom of the mattress pallet at its distal end which pivots down to support the extending end or side of the mattress pallet in the sleeping position. Springs, gas charged pneumatic cylinders, weights and the like are typically utilized to counterbalance the weight of the mattress and supporting pallet as the pallet pivots back and forth between the horizontal sleeping and vertical storage positions. With the supporting pallet and mattress positioned in the storage position, wall beds systems typically comprise a relatively compact hexahedral structure approximately 18 to 24 inches deep, standing 80 to 110 inches high against a room wall. And, depending on bed size and associated cabinetry, the width of wall bed systems range from 44 inches to 125 inches. In some cases the standing support frames actually form a part of the framing for a room.
There are diverse types of mechanisms in existing wall bed systems coupling between the standing support frame and the mattress pallet which allow the pallet and mattress to be moved between the vertical storage position and the horizontal sleeping position. In most instances, there is a rotational axis about which the mattress and pallet must effectively rotate in order to move between such horizontal and vertical orientations. Typically, pivoting couplings mounted between the mattress pallet and the vertical support frame define that rotational axis. Ideally such couplings are located at pivot points on the axis of rotation of the wall bed system. Because of the mechanical loading experienced when moving the counterbalanced mattress and supporting pallet between vertical and horizontal positions, such couplings must be relatively robust and able to withstand considerable wear and tear. However, in wood frame wall bed systems the wood to which existing pivoting couplings are fastened is typically not sufficiently robust to withstand wear and tear at the pivot points.